AgriculturalLECME

Live Cattle

About Live Cattle

Live Cattle futures track the price of fed cattle ready for slaughter. The cattle market is influenced by feed costs (corn), consumer demand, and cattle-on-feed reports. Cattle futures can be volatile around USDA reports and seasonal demand shifts. The cattle crush (feeder cattle → live cattle) is a popular spread trade.

Live Cattle Price Chart

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Contract Specifications

Contract Size: 40,000 pounds of live steers
Tick Size / Value: $0.00025/lb = $10.00 per tick
Exchange: CME

Trading Hours

Mon–Fri 08:30–13:05 CT (electronic 15:00–13:05 CT next day).

Margin Notes

Exchange maintenance margin ~$2,000–$2,500.

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